Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting suspension of most live sporting events, NASCAR has embraced online racing competitions to sustain its presence in the motorsports scene. Now, proponents of sim racing are optimistic that NASCAR’s collaboration with iRacing will endure beyond the pandemic, introducing motorsports to a brand-new audience.
In a conversation with the Washington Post, Chase Briscoe, who recently assumed control of the No. 14 car previously driven by Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer, emphasized the significance of sim racing in his professional journey.
“I’ve been engaged in sim racing since I was a child of six,” he explained. “My dad allowed me to play NASCAR 2003 only after completing my homework… It has been extremely crucial for my growth as a driver, particularly in getting ready for unfamiliar tracks.”
NASCAR and iRacing joined forces in March to launch a virtual racing series involving professional drivers, which turned out to be a huge success. The inaugural race garnered the highest television viewership for a single esports event in history.
Steve Myers, the executive vice president and executive producer at iRacing, stated, “NASCAR has undergone more transformation in the past 10 months than in the previous 15 years.”
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